Bearing lubrication



May 23, 1944. M. H. ARMS BEARINQLLIBRIOATIQN Original Filed July 7. 19382 Sheets-Sheti May 23, 1944. M. H. ARMS BEARING LUBRICATION OriginalFiled July 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jzww QNN Q a A L l l H U PatentedMay 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEARING LUBRICATION Merton H.Arms, Springfield, Vt., assignor to Bryant Chucking Grinder Company,Springfield, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Original application July 7,1938, Serial No. 217,886. Divided and this application MayZ'Z, 1939,Serial No. 276,179 4 8 Claims. (Cl. 303-122) This invention relates tobearings, more especially adapted for accurate positioning of a spindleor shaft and by which a continuou lubricant film is maintained entirelyor substantially around the shaft or spindle.

A further feature of the invention relates to means whereby the weightof the spindle or shaft and parts supported thereby may be taken on alubricating film which may be introduced under heavier pressure whenstarting the rotation of the shaft or spindle in order to provide foreasier starting, after which the pressure may be reduced.

A further feature of the invention relates to lubrication particularlysuitable for use in connection with grinding wheel spindles.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, together withfurther objects, and advantageous constructions, reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a central longitudinalsection through the spindle bearing, the spindle being shown partly inelevation and partly in section.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bearing bushing turned slightly fromits normal angular position in order to better show certain of theparts.

Figures 3 and 4 are detail sections on lines 3--3 and 44, respectively,of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a thrust bearing ring.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating variousarrangements for lubricating the bearing.

Referring first to Figure 1, at l is shown a spindle or shaft providedat one end with a nose 2 to which may be secured a work holder of anydesired type, such as the chuck indicated in dotted lines at 3. Thisspindle is shown as carried by a pair of spaced bearing bushings 4 whichare mounted within an opening 5 in a support 6. This support 5, as shownbest in Figure 4, may be secured to a bed i of the machine. This machinemay be of any desired type, one for which this invention is particularlysuitable being a grinding machine, though the invention might be appliedto any other type of machine, partictype, though any other desired formof pulley might be employed.

As in machines of this character, the work holder or chuck 3 and theWork carried thereby are of substantial weight, provision may be made tosubstantially 1 equalize the weight borne by the two sleeves or bushings4, and for this purpose a counterweight l5 of the desired weight may besecured as by the screws [3 to the web M of the belt pulley. Thesebushings are pref erably made of a bearing metal such as bronze or thelike.

Adjacent to the reduced diameter portion III of the spindle it may havea portion 20 of somewhat larger diameter, but of smaller diameter thanthe main portion of the spindle to form with this main portion anannular shoulder 2| for the reception of a thrust bearing ring 22. Thisring 22 engagesthe outer end of the adjacent bushing 4 and is held inposition secured to the spindle I as by the countersunk screws 23. Itsouter face bears against the inner face of a bearing retainer collar 24secured as by the screws '21 to the support 6. The inner face of theretainer 24 is preferably cut away adjacent to its inner diameter toform a lubricant-receiving passage 29 for a purpose which will laterappear. Y i r The bushings 4 are so constructedas to present acircumferentially completely continuous inner face for bearingengagement on the spindle I, but means are provided by which wearbetween the parts may be taken up. As shown each-bushing 4 is providedwith two pairs of longitudinally spaced slots 25 which extend entirelythrough the wall of the bushing for a portion of its circumference.These slots may be cut by a rotary cutter which leaves the ends of theslots beveled as shown at 26 in Figure 3. These slots are connectedlongitudinally of each bushing near to'the ends by the grooves 28'cutinwardly from the outer face of the bushing but terminating outwardly ofthe interior bore thereof. These grooves 28 and the slots 25 define apair .of portions 30 and 3| cut away from the end portions 32 of thebushing by the slots- 25 and partly severed from each other and from theuncut portion of the bushing by thegrooves 28, which define betweentheir bases 35 and the inner face 36 of the bushing, integral connectingportions 31. These connecting portions 31 are sufficiently flexible topermit the portions 30 and 3| to be deflected; inwardly toward theaxisof the bushing so as to take up wear and without any interruption ofthe continuous circumferentialinner surfaces of the bushings within thelengths partly defined by the slots 25, except where oil holes extendtherethrough as will later appear.

As best shown in Figure 4 each bushing is so positioned in. its support6 that the portions 38 and 3! form front and top bearing portions. Theportion 39 is arranged to be forced inwardly by means carried by thesupport 6, which, as shown in Figure 4, comprise the screws Ml, theinner ends of which bear against hardened wear plugs 4| seated inopenings 42 extending through the portions 39. These screws 48 arethreaded through the support 6 and may be held in ad- 7 justed positionas by the lock nuts 44. As shown there is one such adjusting screw foreach bushing, but it will be recognized that more than one might beemployed if desired. The upper face of the support 6 may be employed tocarry other parts of the machine and hence it may not be possible toprovide as direct means for pressing the portion 3! inwardly as forpressing the portion 36 inwardly. As shown means are provided which areaccessible from the side faces of the portion for accomplishing thisfunction. For example, there is shown in Figure 4 across bore 45 withinwhich is movable a'wedge piece 48 having a wedge face l! which engages aball I38 carried in an opening 49 in a block 56 seated in a'recess orsocket in the top face of the support 6. The wedge piece 46 may be keyedagainst axial rotation as by the fixed pin 5! riding in a slot 52therein. The outer end of the piece ifi may enter into a threaded socket55 into which may be inserted a threaded plug 56, provided with ascrewdriver slot 51 in its outer end. Inward adjustment of the plug 56engaging the wedge piece 35 will serve to press the ball 48 inwardlyagainst the wear plug 58 and force the section 3| inwardly. The smallend of the wedge piece 46 is engaged by a bar 60 also slidable withinthe bore 49, this being engaged at its outer end by the threaded plug 6|similar to the plug 56 and by inward adjustment or which the wedge piece46 may be retracted to release the pressure on the ball 48. This plug isseated in a threaded socket 62. The socket 55 and the socket 62 may beclosed off at their outer ends by closure plugs 63 and 64, respectiyely.It will be seen that this construction provides'me'ans for taking upWear between the bearing bushingsand the spindle and yet provides acircumferentially continuous inner surface for each of the bushingswhich makes possible the insurance of a continuous film of lubri-'thrust bearing adjacent to the belt pulley l2.

When starting the rotation of the shaft or spindle it may be desirableto introduce lubricant under a higher than normal pressure beneath it soas to force it away from the lower face of the bushing, thus to makestarting easier, and after the rotation has been started this pressuremay be reduced in order topermit the spindle to settle back into itsnormal rotating position with the film of oil maintained beneath it andfloating its weight.

For a purpose of lubrication, a plurality of oil holes, preferably intwo series, may be employed. One of these series of oil holes, such as16, open on theinner face of the bushing i beneath and slightly to oneside of the spindle and communicate with a passage 1| extendin throughone end of the bushing. The holes of the other series shown at 12, whichare staggered with respect to the holes 'Hl, extend to the interior ofthe bushing at one side of the spindle and communicate with the passagei3. The holes ill and 12 open into shallow chambers f9 making smallangles with the bearing surface of the bushing to lead the oil inbetween the spindle and bearing, this faction being enhanced by therotation of the spindle;

The staggering of the two sets of oil holes affords a more evendistribution of the oil. As shown in Figure 4, the rotation of thespindle is counterclockwise and the openings 72 are on the left handside of the spindle. The oil pressure is thus so directed as to push thespindle rearwardly transverse to its axis in the same direction as theforce of the grinding wheel cut,

so that it can have no eifect tending to feed the work toward the wheeland thus deepen the out. A lubricant passage it leads through thebushing directly beneath the center of its spindle and passes tothethrust bearing reservoir 75 from which it may find its way past thethrust bearing collar 22 into the passage 29 from which it may escapethrough one of the two passages T6 in the support 6 to the central sumpH from which it may be discharged through the passage 18. The otherpassage T55 serves to return oil escaping at the front end of thebushing 4. I

As best shown in Figure 5 the-thrust bearing ring or collar 22 may be soconstructed as to aid in the distribution of lubricant between it andadjacent parts. To this end, it is shown as provided on opposite faces,preferably in staggered relationvwith radial oil grooves forming lubricant-receiving chambersZZi), the side face adjacent to each groove atthe trailing edge in a direc tion of rotation being ground off as at 22ito give a small angle of approach for the oil, tending, as the ring orcollar 22 rotates, to draw oil in between the bearing surfaces similarlyto the action at the openings ill and 72.

In Figures 6, '7 and 8 Various oil distributing systems are shown forsupplying-lubricant to the various bearings. In these figures, at 89 isshown a source of lubricant supply from which lubricant is drawn througha suitable pipe by the pump 8|. In the arrangement shown'in Figure 6,the oil is driven by this pump through th pipes 82, 83 and 84 to thebearing lubricating passages TI and F3. The pressure of this supply isregulated by one Or the other of a pair of relief valves 85 and 86connected to the line 82 through the line El. The pressure relief valve35 is set for relatively high pressure while the pressure relief valve85 is set for a lower pressure, but this pressure relief valve 85 may berendered ineffective by closing the valve 88 in its discharge line.Under these conditions oil under a relatively heavy presthrust bearingpassage M, and in order to limit I the pressuretherein to a low value,the. pipe 90 may be provided with a gravity discharge pipe 9 I, theupper end ofwhich is open, but which is placed sufficiently higher thanthe supply passage 14 so as to provide a suificient supply of lubricantto the thrust bearin but under very low pressure, this thrust bearingbeing lubricated rather by rotation of the collar 22 dipping into thereservoir 75 than by pressure lubrication. Oil escaping from the pipe 9|may be conducted back by any suitable means (not shown) to the supply80.

;In Figure '7 a different arrangement is employed in which means at I06and NH shown as choke coils may be employed to limit the amount of oilflowing to the oil holes in the bushings i.

These choke coils are of such proportion thatii' the outer ends wereopen to the atmosphere a relatively small amount of oil would flow fromthem. The oil is supplied under a pressure determined by the reliefvalve 32, and the discharge line I63 leads to the thrust bearing oilpassage M. Oil is conducted through the branch pipes N34 to one end ofeach of the choke coils. The opposite ends of the coils lilil lead tothe pressure passages ll and the opposite ends of the coils lfll lead tothe pressure passages T3. The pressure line also leads to the valve [05which may be turned to by-pass any of the coils lilil or through thebranch connections E06 and NH, respectively. When these coils areby-passed, the full pressure from the pressure line 82 is supplieddirectly to the oil passages "H and 13. The discharge pressure line Hi3which leads to the thrust bearing may also have its pressure controlledby the open ended pipe 9| as in Figure 6.

In Figure 8 a still different arrangement is employed in which pressuresare independently applicable to the passages H and the passages 13. Thepressure in the pressure line 82 is controlled by the high pressurerelief valve H0 and leads to one end of the choke coil III which isinterposed in the line I l2 leading to the pressure pas sages ll. Solong as the valve H5 in the low pressure line H8 is closed the pressurein the lower passages H is controlled by the pressure relief valve III), but by opening the valve I this pressure is controlled by the lowerset pressure relief valve H6. Thus either of two selected pressures, onehigher than the other, may be employed for the passages H, the higherbeing employed when the rotation of the spindle is being started and thelower being used after the rotation has been well established. The sidepressure pasages 13 have their oil pressure controlled by the pressurerelief valve II! at all times so long as the rate of flow issufficiently less than that which can pass the choke I iii to permit thebuilding up of pressure therein to the point determined by the settingof this valve. All of the pressure relief valves llil, H6 and H7discharge into the low pressure line H8 which leads to the thrustbearing passage M, the pressure therein being controlled by the openended pipe 9!. Pressure indicators are shown'at I28 and i2! for thepressure passages H and ES.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention,it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changesand modifications might be made without departing from the spirit orscope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported in saidsleeve, said bearing sleeve having lubricating openings therein, pipeconnections leading to said openings, means for forcing lubricantthrough said pipe connections.

and openings toward said shaft, means in said pipe connections forlimiting the flow of lubricant therethrough, and pressure limiting meansin said pipe connections, said pipe connections also including valvecontrolled by-pass connections around said flow limitingmeans by whichsaid flow limiting means may be rendered inoperative .while the pressureof lubricant entering said openings is controlled by said pressurelimiting means.

2. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a. shaft rotatable in said sleeve,said sleeve having lubricating openings therein beneath said shaft,piping leading to said openings ior delivering lubricant under pressurethrough said openings, a pair 01 pressure limiting devices set fordifferent pressur limits in said piping, and means in said piping bywhich one or the other of said pressure limiting devices may be madeoperative while the remaining pressure limiting device is madeinoperative, to control the pressure of lubricant delivered through saidpiping to said openings to either selected of a pair of pressures.

3. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatable in said sleeve,said sleeve having lubricant openings therein beneath said shaft, pipingleading to said openings for delivering lubricant under pressure throughsaid openings, a pair of pressure limiting devices set for difierentpressure limits in said piping, and means in said piping by which one orthe other of said pressure limiting devices may be made operative whilethe remaining pressure limiting device is made inoperative to controlthe pressure of lubricant delivered through said piping to said openingsto either selected of a pair of pressures.

4. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported in saidsleeve, said sleeve having lubricating openings therein, certain of saidopenings being beneath said shaft, piping connected to said openings, asource of lubricant under pressure connected to said piping, a pluralityof pressure limiting devices interposed in said piping and set to limitpressures to different amounts, and a control valve in said piping forrendering either selected of two of said devices operative to determinethe pressure of lubricant delivered by said piping to said openingswhich are beneath said shaft.

5. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported in saidsleeve, said sleeve having lubricating openings therein, certain of saidopenings being beneath said shaft, piping connected to said openings, asource of lubricant under pressure connected to said piping, a flowlimiting device interposed in said piping between said source and theopenings beneath said shaft, a pressure limiting device set for a highpressure in said piping between said source and said flow limitingdevice, a low pressure limiting device connected to said piping betweensaid flow limiting device and said openings beneath said shaft, valvemeans for selectively rendering said low pressure limiting deviceoperative or inoperative, and a second flow limiting device in saidpiping between said source and the other of said openings.

6. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatably supported in saidsleeve, said sleeve having lubricating openings therein, certain of saidopenings being beneath said shaft, piping connected to said openings, asource of lubricant under pressure connected to said piping, a flowlimiting device interposed in said piping between said source and theopenings beneath said shaft, a pressure limiting device set for a highpressure in said piping between said source and said flow limitingdevice, a low pressure limiting device connected to said piping betweensaid flow limiting device and said openings beneath said shaft, valvemeans for selectively rendering said low pressure limiting deviceoperative or inoperative, a second flow limiting device in said pipingbetween said source and the other of said openings, and a pressurelimiting device in said piping between said second flow limiting deviceand said other openings.

'7. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatable in said sleeve,said sleeve having lubricating openings therein beneath said shaft,piping leading to said openings for delivering lubricant under pressurethrough said openings, a pressure limiting device in said piping forlimiting pressure in said piping between said device and said openngs toa predetermined value, means in said piping for reducing the pressurereaching said openings to less than the pressure for which said pressurelimiting deviceis set, and means in said piping selectively operative tocontrol the pressure of lubricant reaching said ports either to thatdetermined by said pressure limiting device or to that determined bysaid reducing means.

8. In combination, a bearing sleeve, a shaft rotatable in said sleeve,said sleeve having lubricant openings therein beneath said shaft, pipingleading to said openings for delivering lubricant under pressure throughsaid openings, a pair of pressure limiting devices set for differentpressure limits in said piping, and a valve in said piping for cuttingin or out the pressure limiting device set for the lower pressure.

MERTON H. ARMS.

